wew@mgweed.UUCP (Ed Weiss) (02/21/85)
Four snow bound Chicago area bikers who are suffering from a near terminal case of cabin fever are planing a 10 day ride from Chicago thru the Smokies and on to West Palm Beach, Fla The plan is to return by air with the bikes safely stored away in the luggage compartment of the plane. The question is....Has anyone shipped a bike as luggage? Is one airline's continer any better than another? How does one go about making sure the container is at the airport when is ready to go? Does a small airport like W Palm Beach have the containers? How much disassembly is required? Extra cost? How much? That's more than one question and I suppose there will be more as the questions are answered. Can anyone out there help us???????
wagner@uw-june (Dave Wagner) (02/22/85)
> From wew@mgweed.UUCP (Ed Weiss) Sat Feb 5 22:28:16 206 > > The question is....Has anyone shipped a bike as luggage? I have taken my bike as luggage on airplanes many times. > Is one airline's continer any better than another? No. They are all equally bad. Some suggestions for improving your bike's chances: 1. If you must remove the front wheel, make sure you have some kind of device to keep the forks spread out correctly. 2. Tape rolled-up cardboard tubes across the width of the box to increase its rigidity. (Front and rear racks are helpful in this respect.) 3. Wrap up any loose parts in padding (e.g., pedals). 4. Shift both derailleurs as far to the inside as possible and put some padding over the rear derailleur. Also, irrespective of the type of container used, it's a good idea to let some pressure out of your tires to prevent them from blowing out at high altitudes. > How does one go about making sure the container is at the > airport when is ready to go? Does a small airport like > W Palm Beach have the containers? It's a crap shoot. I've never had any problem with United or American, but then I've always flown out of large airports (Chicago, Denver, etc.) In the unlikely event that they don't have any, try the local bike shop. > > How much disassembly is required? The airline supplied boxes are huge. If your frame is smaller than 25" you ought to be able to just turn the handlebars, lower the seat, remove the pedals, and roll it right in. (My frame is a 27", and I had to take the handlebars and seat completely off, but I still didn't have to remove the front wheel.) > > Extra cost? How much? They will charge you $5 or so for the box, plus an oversize baggage charge of about $14. (This may have gone up, call them.) Note that airlines do not charge uniformly for bikes; if two airlines have the same fare, it may be worth calling to find out the charge before you buy your tickets. Have a nice trip! Dave Wagner University of Washington Comp Sci Department wagner@{uw-june.arpa|washington.arpa} {ihnp4|decvax}!uw-beaver!uw-june!wagner "Oh no! I've got . . . . . HAPPY FEET!"
harris@uiucdcsb.UUCP (02/22/85)
I have some limited experience shipping bikes by air and train; perhaps
you will find the following useful:
1. Q: Is one airline's container any better than another?
A: Maybe. Some airlines have bike boxes available for purchase
(or free??), some only provide plastic bags and recommend that
you not disassemble the bike at all (except turn the handlebars sideways
and remove the pedals). There seem to be two opposing camps on this
idea, that is, whether it is better to partially disassemble and crate
the bikes, or leave them whole and unboxed. The 'craters' say there is
a high risk of bike damage if you don't thoroughly protect it; that they
have suffered bent derailleurs and scratched frames by not crating their
bikes. The 'baggers' say
that luggage handlers treat an unprotected bike carefully, since they
know its not protected; that they have had no problem shipping their
bikes this way, and it saves dis/assembly time at both ends and the
trouble of finding bike boxes in remote places.
There IS a difference in bike boxes. Some are double-thickness
corrugated boxes, some are single-thickness. The single thickness
boxes definately do not hold up as well. The reason I said "maybe"
above is that I don't know whether any airline bothers to provide the
double-thickness boxes.
2. Q: How does one make sure container is at airport ready to go?
A: I'm not sure I understand this question: Are you asking about how
to ensure that the airline will have an empty box waiting for you
at the airport, or are you asking how to make sure your bike, once
packed, arrives at the airport in time for the flight?
If you've asked the first version, I don't know any other way than to
call the airline and verify that they will have one waiting.
If you've asked the second version: You just have to get it there with
the rest of your stuff; take a cab, have a friend drive you, whatever.
3. Q: Does a small airport have containers?
A: No idea. Call the particular airport you will be going to and ask.
If they don't, you can always go to a bike
shop in the area and ask them for an empty bike box (that formerly held
a new bike). Most will be happy to give you a box; they just throw them
away anyway. Occasionally, they want to charge you for it. Then, of
course, you have the problem of how to get you, your bikes, and the
bike boxes to the airport. Since you can't really ride holding a bike
box, you don't have much choice but to take a cab or whatever.
4. Q: How much disassembly?
A: Some bike books will tell you how to do this. Also, sometime in 1981,
the Bicycling Magazine people published a separate one-issue magazine
called "The Bicycling Magazine 1981 Complete Guide to Cycling, Touring,
Camping, and Equipment" (perhaps they do this every year??) which
contains, among other things, a 1/2 page explanation of how to box a
bike. I'll summarize here; if you can't find a full explanation
anywhere, I'll type in the one that I have.
Basically, you remove the front wheel, pedals, handlebars, seat, and
depending on the size box you have (try to get a bigger box than your
frame size would indicate) you may have to remove the fenders and front
(and possibly rear) racks. The front wheel gets tied to the left side
of the main triangle, the handlebars (still attached via brake and
possibly shift cables) get tied to the top tube so that the long
dimension of the bars is parallel to the top tube, and one crank arm
is tied to the chainstays to keep it from banging things. Get a block of
wood to fit in between the front fork dropouts to prevent damage to
the fork if (when!) the bike is dropped on the fork. Put the frame
into the box and stuff the rest of the loose items wherever there is
room. Be sure to pad things so that parts don't rub against each other.
Most explanations then instruct you to write FRAGILE all over the box;
in my experience, this seems to be a written challenge to baggage
handlers to try as hard as possible to mangle the box. I have a picture
of my boxed bike taken at the airport after I returned from a trip; the
box looked like it had been run over by a truck--you could hardly make
out the word "Fragile". The bike, by the way, was fine, though I
wouldn't have believed it at the time. I credit lots of padding (in
the form of ensolite sleeping pads) for the bike's survival. However,
it is a good idea to write your name and address on the box, just in
case. In case you still want to try, the article suggests putting
"Fragile", "This End Up", and "Do Not Stack" at the appropriate places
on the box.
5. Q: How much does it cost to send a bike as extra baggage on an airplane?
A: It cost us $15/bike each way in the summer of 1983. I haven't done it
since, so I don't know what the current price is. It seems to vary by
airline, too.
I hope this has been of some help.
Jon Harrislewis@uthub.UUCP (David Lewis) (02/26/85)
I have shipped my bicycle to Europe three times, to Newfoundland once, and had no problems. The way any given airline deals with it seems to be up to the whim of whatever twit you are dealing with. Some want the pedals off, the handles turned sideways, and the whole thing wrapped in a plastic bag. Others just let you throw it on. I haven't had any damage done on any occasion, though. David Lewis
mink@cfa.UUCP (Doug Mink) (02/26/85)
> The question is....Has anyone shipped a bike as luggage? I've flown with my bike for pleasure and business several times with various results. Almost every flight brings a new misadventure. Here's my airline-by-airline experience as I remember it. Delta: They helped me pack my camping gear around my bike in the box so it would be ready to make the flight I was on. (It did) TWA: Bike boxes. My baggage arrived one flight later than the bike. United: Beware of tight connections. 45 minutes between flights in LAX caused a 30-hour delay for my mountain bike and the loss of a day of off-road riding on Hawaii. They furnish boxes. American: Their bike bag probably worked as well as a box; my bike arrived the morning after I did due to a cancelled flight. Air Canada: Bike bags. The bikes got to Halifax with us, and they let us leave them on the plane through Customs at the previous stop. > Is one airline's continer any better than another? No, but none of them are really adequate. I always take a roll of fiber tape to hold the box together since my bike came off the conveyor belt in St. Louis once sans box. Last fall, I used a box for a return flight from a small airport (Kona HI), but it took half an hour to patch it up. The box was still on the bike 5000 miles later in Boston but shredded after being rained on between planes in Chicago. Bags don't protect your bike as well as boxes, but they don't get thrown around as much, either. > How does one go about making sure the container is at the > airport when is ready to go? Does a small airport like > W Palm Beach have the containers? Check with the airline you're planning to fly; have them check the specific airport. If you can't get a box at the airport, check the local bike shops which usually have a few around. > How much disassembly is required? Airline boxes and bags usually require removing pedals and turning (often removing) handlebars. I've rebuilt boxes with scissors and tape to cover the top tube of a 25-inch frame. If you have to get a box from a bike shop, expect to take off at least the front wheel, in which case an old axle or a block of wood between the front forks is advised. > Extra cost? How much? Last fall, it cost 20 dollars each way. In theory, it should cost less if it's one of your two checked bags, though don't count on it. Sometimes, especially if the baggage office is far from the ticket counter and you don't cause any problems, they'll let you go for free. A bike bag, which is in theory re-usable, may be charge for separately. If you want more info, with additional specifics about flying in and out of Boston, I wrote a pamphlet for the Boston Area Bicycle Coalition which is available by sending a SASE to them at P.O. Box 1015, Kendall Square Branch, Cambridge, MA 02142. -Doug Mink Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astropysics mink@cfa.UUCP
rosen@lamont.UUCP (stephan rosen) (02/28/85)
> > I have some limited experience shipping bikes by air and train; perhaps > you will find the following useful: > > 1. Q: Is one airline's container any better than another? > A: Maybe. Some airlines have bike boxes available for purchase > (or free??), some only provide plastic bags and recommend that > you not disassemble the bike at all (except turn the handlebars sideways > and remove the pedals). There seem to be two opposing camps on this > idea, that is, whether it is better to partially disassemble and crate > the bikes, or leave them whole and unboxed. The 'craters' say there is > a high risk of bike damage if you don't thoroughly protect it; that they > have suffered bent derailleurs and scratched frames by not crating their > bikes. The 'baggers' say > that luggage handlers treat an unprotected bike carefully, since they > know its not protected; that they have had no problem shipping their > bikes this way, and it saves dis/assembly time at both ends and the > trouble of finding bike boxes in remote places. > > There IS a difference in bike boxes. Some are double-thickness > corrugated boxes, some are single-thickness. The single thickness > boxes definately do not hold up as well. The reason I said "maybe" > above is that I don't know whether any airline bothers to provide the > double-thickness boxes. > > 2. Q: How does one make sure container is at airport ready to go? > A: I'm not sure I understand this question: Are you asking about how > to ensure that the airline will have an empty box waiting for you > at the airport, or are you asking how to make sure your bike, once > packed, arrives at the airport in time for the flight? > > If you've asked the first version, I don't know any other way than to > call the airline and verify that they will have one waiting. > > If you've asked the second version: You just have to get it there with > the rest of your stuff; take a cab, have a friend drive you, whatever. > > 3. Q: Does a small airport have containers? > A: No idea. Call the particular airport you will be going to and ask. > If they don't, you can always go to a bike > shop in the area and ask them for an empty bike box (that formerly held > a new bike). Most will be happy to give you a box; they just throw them > away anyway. Occasionally, they want to charge you for it. Then, of > course, you have the problem of how to get you, your bikes, and the > bike boxes to the airport. Since you can't really ride holding a bike > box, you don't have much choice but to take a cab or whatever. > > 4. Q: How much disassembly? > A: Some bike books will tell you how to do this. Also, sometime in 1981, > the Bicycling Magazine people published a separate one-issue magazine > called "The Bicycling Magazine 1981 Complete Guide to Cycling, Touring, > Camping, and Equipment" (perhaps they do this every year??) which > contains, among other things, a 1/2 page explanation of how to box a > bike. I'll summarize here; if you can't find a full explanation > anywhere, I'll type in the one that I have. > > Basically, you remove the front wheel, pedals, handlebars, seat, and > depending on the size box you have (try to get a bigger box than your > frame size would indicate) you may have to remove the fenders and front > (and possibly rear) racks. The front wheel gets tied to the left side > of the main triangle, the handlebars (still attached via brake and > possibly shift cables) get tied to the top tube so that the long > dimension of the bars is parallel to the top tube, and one crank arm > is tied to the chainstays to keep it from banging things. Get a block of > wood to fit in between the front fork dropouts to prevent damage to > the fork if (when!) the bike is dropped on the fork. Put the frame > into the box and stuff the rest of the loose items wherever there is > room. Be sure to pad things so that parts don't rub against each other. > > Most explanations then instruct you to write FRAGILE all over the box; > in my experience, this seems to be a written challenge to baggage > handlers to try as hard as possible to mangle the box. I have a picture > of my boxed bike taken at the airport after I returned from a trip; the > box looked like it had been run over by a truck--you could hardly make > out the word "Fragile". The bike, by the way, was fine, though I > wouldn't have believed it at the time. I credit lots of padding (in > the form of ensolite sleeping pads) for the bike's survival. However, > it is a good idea to write your name and address on the box, just in > case. In case you still want to try, the article suggests putting > "Fragile", "This End Up", and "Do Not Stack" at the appropriate places > on the box. > > 5. Q: How much does it cost to send a bike as extra baggage on an airplane? > A: It cost us $15/bike each way in the summer of 1983. I haven't done it > since, so I don't know what the current price is. It seems to vary by > airline, too. > > I hope this has been of some help. > > > Jon Harris n the spring of `84 I took a trip to Tuscon from Newark...My experiences with the airlines were quite bad. They assured me that my bike would be treated well. My first disappointment came when I saw the airline "bag," nothing more than a large baggie. So I "bagged" my bike and sent it off with my fingers crossed. My plane seat was near the tail section, and I watched in horror as the airline morons dropped my nice racing bike onto their conveyor, and then watched as it fell approximately 5 feet onto the concrete......Luckily nothing was really damaged (Miyatas are built like brick s***houses) My advice to anyone traveling with their machines-get something on your own to protect your investment. There are a few hard bike cases available -- check out an issue of BICYCLING for some adver- tisements, and enjoy your flight!!! Happy Pedaling. Stephan Rosen LDGO . w ? - q :wq *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
dcn@mgweed.UUCP (Dave Nargis) (03/02/85)
hey ed , this is too see if you are for real? well, you have got to be kidding!